There are certain things we hold sacred in Melbourne. The right to drop letters from suburb names (Pran, Esseddon). The ability to get gelato at 11pm. And the knowledge that, no matter how bad it gets, our team could always win the premiership flag.
Fairness is at the heart of Australian rules football. It’s not an accident – the AFL works hard to create that impression. Its equalisation policy, based on US sporting leagues and introduced in 2014, formalises a balance between every club. Salary and expenditure caps limit the ease with which teams can gain an advantage. It promotes a theoretical sameness that allows us to barrack for the underdog and come back next week.
